This is one of the few metal albums that has stood the test of time Rather than being a product of its time. Reagan Gavin Rasquinha checks out a vinyl pressing of this lovely album

First off, this is not a 'track by track'. Because it’s not an album of singles apart from the tracks that had videos, Roots Bloody Roots and Ratamahatta. I first heard this album back in 1996. It was at a friend’s place, a school friend junior by two years and getting a CD in South Bombay as they released was something special and via the grey market, heera panna (a Mumbai mall) actually. I had just ‘discovered’ the Beatles and at the time was blown away by the richness of ‘Revolver’ and ‘Rubber Soul’ albums. Sounded fresh as if it was released today and still does. And also metal. There was Metallica with their album ‘Load’ and soon after ‘Reload’ which marked a huge departure from their established thrash metal sound and of course, there was Megadeth's ‘Countdown To Extinction’. Apart from that, alt rock was still on big time with R.E.M. and repeated plays of Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’ and ‘Vs’. and ‘Vitalogy’ that fans, including myself tried hard to like but it did not build on their first and sophomore albums at all and of course Nirvana and Soundgarden.

When ‘Roots’ was slid in the CD player the sound was completely unlike the typical metal sound of the 80s. Or anything 90s either. It actually had a groove. It had rhythm. Full on rhythm.

The sound was well rounded, full-bodied and that guitar sound was something else. Seven strings I believe and detuned to alternative tuning. It was heavy, it was not staccato like typical metal. You could hear the bass guitar which was often not the case in typical heavy metal as the bass just followed the rhythm guitar imperceptibly. Played at the right volume, Roots made the rafters shake and wall hangings tremble.

It was an album that had a story to it, not just about cartoon characters and apocalyptic sci-fi visions. It was like a cultural ambassador into South American tribal rhythms delivered via heavy rock. Roots, very aptly.

It’s an album that does not sound dated at all as much as for example Iron Maiden is a product of its time. Early Metallica is a product of its time, but this had a rhythm that is innate in South American tribal music. It taps into something deep, something that had a folklore.

‘Roots’ remains one of the rare metal records whose reputation has continued to expand rather than ossify. Heard on vinyl, it asserts itself less as a period piece and more as a deliberate reengineering of how heaviness could be framed in the mid 1990s.

The sound felt wider than contemporary metal records, less fixated on speed and far more concerned with physical pressure. That sensation translates even more convincingly to vinyl, where the low end breathes rather than snaps and the guitars occupy space instead of slicing through it. The production favors density over polish, and the format rewards that decision by restoring a sense of air around the percussion and vocals.

This was a record that demanded volume, patience, and attention, and the vinyl pressing reinforces those demands by slowing the listener down. The opening stretch establishes a muscular, grounded sonic environment that feels closer to ritual than performance.

At the core of the record is Sepultura at a moment when the band chose expansion over refinement. The songwriting leans heavily on groove and repetition, yet never collapses into inertia. Each track builds its own internal logic through rhythm rather than melody, with drums and bass driving the narrative more decisively than guitar leads.

The percussive elements carry additional weight, particularly the layered tribal rhythms that underpin much of the album. These are not decorative flourishes but structural components, anchoring the music in a physical sense of place.

Max Cavalera’s vocal performance is confrontational without becoming theatrical, and the analog format slightly rounds the edges of his delivery in a way that enhances its authority. There is no attempt to charm the listener, and there is no concession to accessibility beyond the primal pull of rhythm. The band’s confidence in these choices gives the album its lasting power.

The cultural and musical implications of the album are inseparable from its sonic character. ‘Roots’ arrived at a time when metal was splintering into increasingly specialized subgenres. This record rejected that by foregrounding rhythm, repetition, and cultural specificity. The incorporation of indigenous Brazilian elements was not presented as fusion for its own sake, but as a reframing of metal’s relationship to tradition and locality.

On vinyl, these elements feel less like studio constructs and more like live presences. The album’s influence can be traced forward to bands that have successfully integrated regional identity into heavy music, including The Hu. Roots made a case for metal as a global language capable of absorbing non Western rhythms without dilution.

What ultimately distinguishes ‘Roots’ as a vinyl experience is how cohesively its ambitions are realized. The album does not rely on standout singles to justify its length, and it does not reward casual listening. Side breaks on vinyl introduce natural pauses that suit the record’s pacing.

Heard now on vinyl, ‘Roots’ sounds neither nostalgic nor dated. It sounds settled, grounded, and fully aware of its own weight.

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By Reagan Gavin Rasquinha

Reagan Gavin Rasquinha is a writer who moves between high culture and backroom blues, tracing the quiet revolutions that shape what we see, feel and hear. 

The writer can be contacted at reagangavin@gmail.com